The choice is yours
by Midnight.Black.angel21
Summary: How can Sapphire make the right choice, when she's glued to her word by fear? Full summary inside
1. Summary

Nobody knows her, they know of her, but almost nobody has bothered to learn anything else.

She doesn't care, well, she does just a little. She's never had any friends outside her family.

One day, she's in forest, when she meets a shadow, who claims to be the boogeyman, yet prefers Pitch. He recruits her into his rising army, wanting to destroy a league of heroes called the "guardians". Mistaking them for monsters, she accepts Pitch's proposal out of pity. Her job is to spread the nightmares around, implant some fear into other kids.

But one night, she stumbles across Jack Frost while giving nightmares. Wondering who she is, and why on Earth she'd be spreading nightmares, Jack takes her to the North Pole.

Another war is about to ensue between Pitch and the guardians. Longing to do good, but stuck by her word and fear, she can't decide who to fight for.

Oh, Sapphire, what have you gotten yourself into?


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Don't own ROTG or the characters

Chapters will be longer in the future, I will update every Friday.

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Well, if you've never met the boogeyman, consider yourself lucky. He's very tragic, and when you try to help him, you have to give out his nightmares to little kids. Not pleasant. But, I do it out of pity for the poor soul, he doesn't have friends, and nobody believes in him because he's "bad". I know how that feels.

The boogeyman first told me his name was Pitch, Pitch Black. So, Pitch went onto his story about how these "guardians" made him an outcast for doing his job, which is bringing fear to kids. He claims that fear sets them up for life but no, the kids must be "safe". Didn't make much sense to me, but he is over 3,000 years old… so I guess he must know his stuff. The guardians brought him down into non-existence many times, but this time they brought in another guardian, who they'd ignored for 300 years to get rid of him again, when he was trying to be believed in. So, I took pity on him, and here I am, giving nightmares to little kids. Monday and Friday nights, I watch little kids dreams turn black, their faces scrunch in fear, and I'm worried that maybe this is bad. I gave my word though, so until I'm sure it puts them in immediate danger, I will continue this.

A take a deep breath in and poke my finger through the dream of a little girl in front of me. I cringe when she tosses in her bed, hyperventilating slightly. I let a small tear slip down my cheek, she looks a lot like my little sister… this is inhuman. I gently shake her enough to wake her up and escape through the window, running along roofs for a new house.

A couple minutes later, I find one, and I climb through the window. Feeling a ridiculous mix of emotions, I'm about to poke my finger through someone's dream when,

"Hey, what are you doing to that kid's dream?" Someone shouts from outside. I look to the window, to see a boy around my age floating in the sky. His snow white hair and skin contrast with the dark night. How does nobody notice a 14 year old albino floating in midair?

"Who…how…why…?" I'm not sure how to voice my confusion when the answer hits me. Jack Frost. That's who this guy is, and I need to get out of here now.


	3. Chapter 2

But, I don't get the chance because before I can scram he has me 50ft off of the ground.

"Put me down! This is illegal! Just… let me go!" I screech.

"Hate to break it to you, but the cops can't catch what they can't see." He laughs. I slam my fists against his chest, trying to hurt him enough to put me down.

"Dropping you from up here wouldn't be really great." He sighs eventually, which effectively stops me. We are in the clouds, and I can't see where we are going.

"Where are we going?" I shout.

"The North Pole."

"I'm not telling anybody anything." I inform him, feeling scared, and angry at the same time. I can already tell who I'll be meeting, and what questions will be asked. Said questions could ruin Pitch's plans.

The rest of the flight (a few seconds) is dead silent, that I break when a huge palace comes into view. It's breathtaking.

Large, with bright green and red domed roofs, the entire place screams 'Christmas!'. As we get closer, I can make out white fluffy shapes guarding the door. Jack touches the ground, grabs me by the wrist, and nods to one of the shapes.

"Phil." He says, before walking through the door, pulling me through with him.

"Phil?" I ask, raising an eyebrow at the greeting.

"A yeti, he kept me out of here for 300 years." Jack explains softly, and I see he is looking around in awe just as much as I am. Wait, 300 years that Jack wasn't aloud here, but Pitch made it seem like they were all best buds… oh well, I'm sure that there is something I'm missing here.

"Jack! Who is the girl?" A jolly voice asks in a Russian accent.

"You see North, I don't really know much about her except that she was giving little kids nightmares." They both turn to me at this moment, as if expecting me to say something.

"Oh honestly, you don't think I'd be stupid enough after all of this to tell you my name is Audrey." I say, and then slap my free hand over my mouth, as though I've actually told them my real name.

"So your name is Audrey, okay, what do we do now?" Jack asks North.

"We call the other guardians." Is North's terse reply, and he walks off somewhere.

"So Audrey, why were you giving out nightmares?" Jack turns around to ask me.

"So Jack, why should it concern you?" I ask, putting as much venom in my words as I can; it's true, why should what I'm doing concern him.

I find Jack's face inches from mine, dead serious.

"I_ protect _the children of the world from people like you who are out to hurt them."

'Really? Where were you when the people I loved needed protection?' I think bitterly.

"Who said I was trying to hurt them?"

"The nightmares spoke for themselves."

"It's not that bad…" I weakly try to defend.

"Yeah, well it's not good either."

"You wouldn't know the half of 'not good'."

"I died; try to tell me you have it worse." Jack challenges. A million thoughts run through my head and I swear almost all of them are worse. I yank my wrist out of his grip, not trying to run, knowing that I wouldn't stand a chance against the yetis.

We wait there in an angry silence until a figure comes flying into the room. When she flies closer I see that she looks like a bird. A bright, big, colorful, human bird-fairy sort of thing; I'm guessing that would be the tooth fairy.

She flies straight to Jack and opens his mouth, examining and squealing over his teeth; yep, that's the Tooth Fairy. Jack swats her hand away looking irritated, until a smaller fairy comes out from behind the tooth fairy.

'Aw.' I think, despite the fact that for now, these people consider me an enemy.

More of these guardians pile in, I mentally name each one as they enter. The Easter Bunny, Sandman, and North all come into the room, and I realize just how much trouble I might be in. They are huge and powerful, and I'm only given the whole nightmare power thing until dawn, and the sun should be rising soon.

"I have called you here today, fellow guardians, to discuss an issue Jack has found." North says in his booming voice.

Everyone in the room -including me- turns towards Jack, all of us interested in what he has to say.

"Well, I was just spreading an overnight snow, for a snow day, through some town in America, and I see this girl giving little kids nightmares."

"Are you sure Jack? She just could've been looking over at a sibling having a nightmare." The tooth fairy asks, and I see the Sandman making a bunch of little symbols over his that are speeding so fast, I'd be surprised if anyone could decipher them.

I feel Jack elbow me, and after I glare at him, I realize they expect me to confirm that I'm giving nightmares to kids. I almost laugh out loud, seriously, I'm not telling them anything.

Instead of talking, I just settle for raising an eyebrow at them.

"You see? If she wasn't doing something, she would've told us." Jack insists. The guardians nod, I suppose now they realize what I was doing. I stare at them, feeling irritated and intimidated, but I won't show the latter. I don't want them to feel satisfaction in any way, because now I'm a little ticked off at them all.

"Well, can I go?" I ask eventually.

"Why were you giving nightmares to kids?" The Easter Bunny asks.

"Can I go?"

"Why are you giving nightmares to kids?" Tooth asks.

"Can I go?" I ask a bit louder.

"Why are you giving nightmares to the kids?" North asks.

"Why can't I go?" I shout at them, patience out the window.

"You can go when we're done with you! Now answer the question!" Jack yells at me.

"Why is it any of your business?"

"We protect the kids." The Tooth Fairy replies calmly. I don't feel the need to yell at her, if she won't yell at me, the least I can do is return the favor.

"Well, you're just doing an awesome job at that aren't you?" I ask sarcastically. I see her eyes well up with tears, and feel like a monster. I sigh.

"Look, I just don't really know how well five of can handle the entire world. That's a lot." I tell her.

Sandy makes a sign over his head that looks like it says something like 'We can manage.'.

"We're all immortal, so it's not like we'll die of exhaustion." Jack says, seeming to have calmed down a bit, although he still looks angry.

A sudden question sparks up in my mind.

"Did you have a life before?"


	4. Chapter 3

A/N: Sort of a fill-in chapter because my teachers love killing me with homework and projects

* * *

Jack's face immediately hardens, and the room goes dead silent. The fairy's eyes glass over with tears again, and even Santa looks pained by my question. Jack takes a deep breath in before smiling artificially at me.

"All I know is that my name's Jack Frost, all I know is what Manny told me." Right off the bat I can tell he's feeding me lies, but what could be so bad about the truth? I just sigh and look around at them all once before asking them an urgent question.

"How do I get home?"

All of the guardians gather around each other at the other end of the room for a second before they seem to reach a decision and turn back to me.

"Here you go Audrey. Throw it at the ground, and then you say where you want to go." North says and I almost let myself ask 'Who's Audrey?' before I realize that it's what I told them my name was. I catch a snow globe in my hands, turning it over before quickly smashing it to the ground and saying my address.

In a blue whirl, I find myself in my room, and the clock says it's about 6:00am. I normally get up about an hour earlier; oh god, if they've noticed that I was gone…

I tentatively creak open my door, looking into the hallway, and find my teary-eyed parents with the police.

_No!_

"Mom, dad? What on Earth are the police doing here? At this hour?" I ask, faking a yawn and rubbing my eyes, trying to look like I just woke up.

My mom runs over to hug me, squeezing all the air out of me.

"Sapphire! Oh my little jewel, where were you? We thought you'd run away… or… or…" My mom trails off of her shrieking right there, and I cringe thinking of how terrified they must've been. Stupid Jack for taking me away. Stupid Pitch for making me pity him and doing this in the first place.

"Mom? What on Earth are you talking about? I was in bed, dead to the world."

"You weren't in bed…"

"I must've fallen out, you know, nightmares. I had a lot of them last night." My floor is so messy that it really is a believable story.

"You scared us so much." My mom laughs a little, choking on her tears like she does when she's upset.

"I'm really sorry. But hey, at least I'm here now. I'm here now." I look my mom and dad in the eyes, meaning every word I say.

"Mommy, daddy, Saph?" My little sister, Amy, appears in the doorway with her blanket, and I pick her up in my arms, holding her close. I can already tell she had another nightmare, but I ask anyways.

"Was it the nightmare again?" And she nods into my shoulder, shivering. I don't get why Pitch tortures her like this, she hasn't had a single good dream since our older brother "went on vacation". I can see the policeman nod to my parents before leaving.

"C'mon Ames, how about you pick out your own clothes today." I tell her, trying to coax her into being happy again.

"It's too dark."

I set her down gently at these words, and flip on the switch in her room.

"Look, I fixed it Ames!" I tell her the sweetest voice I can muster. She giggles and walks in, shutting the door behind her.

I sigh, content now, and go downstairs to eat breakfast. When Amy comes down in a bright yellow shirt, a pink skirt, one sneaker, and one ballet flat topped with a baseball cap, I can't help but laugh at her choice of what to wear. She sits down next to me and has me pour some cereal for her, and asks the dreaded question.

"When's Danny coming home?" She asks every morning when our older brother is coming home, and each time I regret what happened, because it seems like it was entirely my fault. Yet, 5 years old is just too young for her life to be this unhappy, so we all lie to her.

Thankfully, I'm saved by the clock, which says it's time for me to be at school.

"Got to go Ames, bye!" I say cheerfully, and I sprint out of there, preparing for another day of invisibility. As I walk down the street, nobody but a few seem to see me, and they look away instantly; nobody knows what to say to our family anymore. I finally get to the school building, and I slip inside right before the late bell rings. I get my books, and try all day to pay attention to the teacher, not wanting to think about the night before, or how much I need a nap. Not to mention that sleep is going to be delayed by nightmare duty tonight.

When I get home, I collapse onto my couch, before something catches in the corner of my eye, a blur of white and blue, and it's gone. Yep, need that nap, but now I can't fall asleep.

I get started on homework, finishing right before Amy gets home, holding up a piece of paper with crayon all over it.

"Saphie, look what I drew in class today! It's our family, see?" Looking at the paper, I smile at her work, until I come across the part past our parents and pets. Right in the middle, me holding Amy's hand, with Danny holding the other one. Oh gosh, when mom sees this there'll be a flood.

"This is fantastic Ames." I grin at her, handing back the paper quickly.

"Can we go hang it up in my room?"

"Sure." I say, as she pulls me off the couch into her room.

One thing about Amy is that she loves the guardians, and it shows in her room. She always has it decorated like a holiday that's close and the guardian that represents it. In this case, it's Easter. Eggs are painted on her wall, and she has pictures of the Easter Bunny everywhere.

I sigh and look around, wondering exactly why the guardians would let me go. Then it hits me. I begin to shout out to what looks like no one.

"Alright, cute one, you can come out now."


	5. Chapter 4

I have to wait a moment before an ashamed looking Jack Frost comes out from around the doorway to the room.

"Jack Frost?" Amy asks in wonder, like she can't believe he would come to our house at random in the middle of winter. I honestly just can't believe the nerve, following me around like that. This must be what they were talking about in the corner of the huge room.

He looks at me, seeming confused about something. I just shrug, not sure what there is to be confused about.

"You can see me?" Jack asks when he turns back to Amy, she nods her head slowly, smiling like it's Christmas morning.

"Why are_ you_ here Jack?" I ask, trying to sound nice for Amy's sake. Thankfully he catches on quickly.

"Well, I just saw that there was a new believer in this neighborhood, and decided I wanted to meet you." He says in a nice voice, squatting down next to Amy, who reaches forward and pokes his snow white hair. Squealing in delight, she wraps her arms around his neck, holding him close to her, and my heart nearly breaks at the expression that crosses his face.

"Hey Amy, I need to talk to Jack for a minute, okay?" I tell her, gently pulling her off of Jack. She pouts for a second, before waving us off, nodding her head.

I grab Jack by the hood and pull him into the hallway.

"Look, I don't care what you guardians think I'm doing, but you can't follow me around. Reason one, it's illegal. Don't even get me started on how creepy it is, and I don't need a bunch of legends following me around." I hiss quietly.

"You're a danger to the children." He glares at me.

"I'm an older sister to one."

"Then you're a danger to her too."

"Look, I already know she has nightmares, but they're about to become very normal around here if you guys don't stop focusing on me." That's the closest I've come to revealing what Pitch might do. If I do tell what Pitch is doing…? I'm afraid something bad might happen.

"Why didn't anyone talk to you all day?" The sudden change of topic catches me off guard, and I almost answer him. I should really watch what I'm about to say.

"I'm almost invisible to them, didn't you notice?" Jack gives me a look that I think might be sympathy, but he constantly has people believing in him, people that will always care, he wouldn't know what this is like. It's gone before I can truly recognize it, and he looks like he's arguing with himself, making an important decision.

"We need to talk some time." He tells me seriously, before flying out of my house.

I'm left standing there in shock and confusion.

"Where did Jack go?" Amy asks from behind me.

"Jack had something to take care of." I mutter without looking back at her.

* * *

"Amy, Sapphire, what on Earth are you staring at?" My mother asks, coming through the door with my father, and my head snaps back down to Earth; I'm back in reality.

"Nothing mom." I say.

"Mommy, come look at what I drew today!" Amy shouts excitedly, bouncing in happiness.

While my parents walk up the stairs to our rooms, I run down the stairs, worried about how the lovely little drawing will affect this evening's mood.

Dinner ends up being full of fake smiles that look more like grimaces, and tears barely held back. An uncomfortable formality has settled over everyone, and it is suffocating.

It continues on through the night, until it's around 9-ish. My little sister is sound asleep in bed, and my parents are probably crying in their room. I'm still sitting in the living room, not even watching my TV show.

"Sapphire." Calls a voice from the shadows, and glowing yellow eyes appear, followed by a man in a black coat, and I tense.

"What do you want Pitch?" I growl, anger at him returning to mind now that he's here.

"Now, no need to be unfriendly."

"That's all I hear you've ever been to the guardians." I want to take it back as soon as I say it, the look of rage on Pitch's face terrifies me that bad.

"Honestly, do you really think it's a wise idea to believe them? They twist the truth; make it look like they're the victims, when really they've always had it better. They've always been loved, adored, and believed in-"

"Jack didn't seem to be loved by any of you. He told me he was kept out of the North Pole for 300 years. I'm going out on a limb here and saying that he wasn't believed in either was he?"

The look of astonishment on Pitch's face gives me my answer, and a fresh bout of anger.

"So you lied to me! You made me help you out of pity based off of lies! Why should I even help you anymore?" I whisper-shriek, wanting to pummel Pitch so badly, that it actually hurts.

"I would be worried, but I'm the boogeyman for a reason. Fear is very powerful, and you Sapphire, you radiate it. You'd be too afraid that something would happen to your already broken family."


	6. Chapter 5

I can feel my eyes widen, and even though I still want to gut him, I give up. He's right; I'm too scared of what he may do to do anything about him.

"Fine, but you will be telling me the truth about the guardians." I relent, letting black sand whirl around my body, lifting me up, taking me to the first child's window.

I stare inside, waiting for a sign that anyone in this house may be awake, and upon receiving none, I climb in.

Poking a finger through the golden sand, I sigh in frustration. Why can't I just say no?

_'Because you're a fool who sticks to her word.'_

I almost laugh at the bitter thought in my head, but it's true. I hate going back on a deal. I just don't get how my life turned into such a mess, for doing what was supposed to be the right thing.

Sighing, I hop out of the window, repeating the process until I feel someone watching me. I turn around, and see a wisp of golden sand floating inside a bedroom I just visited. Content, I turn back around; going on and on, pleased to know that nobody here will be plagued by nightmares tonight for long.

At last, it's midnight and I can sleep, but I didn't expect a nightmare.

_I'm walking down the street, happy and giggling at something that Amy just babbled out. Nothing could ruin my perfect mood, yet a weird feeling of deja vu keeps coming over me._

_Suddenly, I realize where I've seen this before. I try to turn around, try to scream at my siblings to get out of the way. Try to tell them what's about to happen, but I can't move of my own will. I just keep walking, despite trying to run back; I keep talking, despite the fact that I'm trying to scream._

_Lights flash, and an overwhelming fear and sadness overcome me again, and I feel myself being pushed forward. I trip and fall on the road, but that doesn't matter._

_When I turn back, instead of seeing my brother's dead body, I see Jack's._

I wake up in my bed, shivering and wanting to scream. That was so disturbing. Looking at the clock, I see that it's only 3:00 am, and I want to go back to sleep, but I can't.

I get dressed, and walk downstairs to find something to do, but instead, I find frost all over our main window.

It's snowing outside, and I can see Jack up in the air, floating around and bringing the entire town snow. For some reason, it feels so good to see him alive.

"Well, well Sapphire, that was an interesting nightmare, wasn't it?"

"What do you want Pitch?"

"Again with the hostility; I just thought you'd like to know the "truth" about the guardians."

"I still do."

"Then I advise you sit." Pitch tells me, and I walk away from the window, anxiously sitting down on a chair.

"It all started when the guardians banded together to protect the children. Nightmares were considered evil, and abomination, and I was isolated from all other spirits. Never believed in, while those idiots always were."

Pitch's voice is dark, and his bright eyes shine with malice.

"Yet, there came a spirit thousands of years later, who was also isolated, not believed in. He always brought winter, snow, but nobody ever believed in Jack Frost, no matter what he did.

"That all changed when I decided I'd had enough of being unacknowledged, and I created my army of fearlings. The Man in the Moon called Jack to the guardians' attention, telling them that he was the only way to defeat me.

"I tried to approach Jack with the idea that we could rule the world with fear, after all, nothing goes together better than the dark and cold. However, he denied the proposal, instead choosing to help the guardians who hadn't cared at all for him before, in bringing me down again." Here is where Pitch stops, and I realize that maybe Jack didn't have the easiest time ever. At least I understand his choice.

It's far better to be loved than feared, or at least in my opinion.

I just wish that I hadn't been so stupid to join Pitch.

But, he did lie to me; he did play to my fears. This can't be entirely my fault; not everything is my fault.

Glaring at Pitch, all I could choke out was,

"Leave them alone, they never did anything to you. Nobody ever did."

He laughs at my response, sending a chill up my spine, and I only now think of how much I should fear Pitch. How much I would've, had I been told the truth.

"But what would be the fun in that?" And with those words, the boogeyman is gone.

I run back to the window, hoping that Jack is okay; hoping that Pitch won't get him. I don't think that I'd like the Nightmare King's idea of "fun".

Seeing that Jack is gone, fatigue overcomes me, and I drop to the ground, fast asleep.

_In my dream, I'm in a dark room, and I can't stand up._

_Suddenly, flames roar to life, and the entire room lights up. In one corner, I see Amy in a fitful sleep, and I wish that I could move._

_In another corner, is Pitch, just standing there, smirking like the arrogant idiot he is._

_In the third corner, are all of the guardians, bound and gagged, struggling to get free._

_It takes all of my courage, but when I look into the final corner, I see Danny, chained to the wall, with cuts and bruises littering his body._

_I take a deep breath and look at Pitch, trying and failing to stare him down._

_"What is this? Let them go." I say, hoping that I'll be waking up soon enough to end what will surely become a nightmare._

_"Everything you fear will happen." At first I'm confused, but then decide that I don't want to figure this out right now. I just want to wake up. Pitch is probably just trying to scare me into staying with his army..._

I wake up, feeling very puzzled and a bit scared that I don't know what's going on. I take a look around me, and I find myself back at North's Workshop.


	7. Chapter 6

"Seriously, someone's about to die for this. I need to be at home. With my parents… oh no, my parents! They must be freaking out! Take me back now!" I end my little rant hysterically, trying my hardest not to scream. My parents must be so worried, I mean, they're always worried when I'm gone, or alone.

Not to mention that this is the second time I've disappeared in 24 hours too.

Something shifts in the shadows, and Jack comes into view.

"What do you want now?" I ask, feeling absolutely exasperated.

"Look, I think that the guardians just want to know a little more about you. I guess it makes you easier to predict, or less of an enemy, or whatever."

"Yeah, sure, I'll just tell you guys all of my secrets because that definitely the smart thing to do."

"Look, I know you just want to leave, but if you cooperate, things will just go faster." Well, it is difficult to argue with that logic.

"Fine." I relent, "But no questions on why I'm working with Pitch."

"Deal." Jack and I both awkwardly look at each other for a moment, before he sits down next to me.

"Did you used to have a life?" I ask quietly, still curious about what Pitch left out. Jack's face hardens immediately, and I change directions.

"Okay, ignore that. So what exactly happened with you and the guardians?" Jack shrugs,

"There's honestly not much to tell. I was left alone for 300 years, not knowing anything but my name at first. I figured out that there were other spirits, but they only thought I was…"

"Trouble? Yeah, I know the feeling." I remark bitterly. I see Jack wince out of the corner of my eye, and feel uncomfortable. It seems like we do have a lot in common.

"Your turn." I mutter.

"Well, um, do you have any friends?"

"Nope. Why do you watch over kids all of the time?"

"They need protection. Do you have any siblings?"

"A little sister." I reply shortly, and I feel Jack stiffen.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"Nothing."

"Liar, come on, you can tell me." Realization dawns upon me. "You used to have a little sister too, didn't you?"

"Yeah." He replies softly, and I feel kind of bad for him.

"Do you want to say anymore?"

"Hold onto her as long as you can. It may seem stupid, but someday, something might happen, and you'll barely be able to save her. Someday, you'll screw up so bad and realize that it's your entire fault!" The room temperature drops significantly, and I get the feeling that maybe this is more than Amy and I.

"What happened?" I ask tentatively, nervous of how he might react.

"We were just ice skating. I said everything was going to be okay. The ice, it began cracking… and I barely saved her, and I… I fell in."

"Jack, that's terrible." I impulsively wrap my arms around him, and before I can let go, I feel him wrap his arms around me.

"Jack, I just want you to know, that you were her hero. It wasn't your fault, because you did all you could to save her. You tried, and yeah, she was heartbroken when you died, but she didn't blame you." I almost choke on my tears, and I feel like, maybe I should just tell him what happened. I don't have anything to lose at this point. I pull back and take a deep breath.

"I used to have an older brother. His name was Danny. One night he took Amy and I out for some ice cream, and we were walking down the street. We didn't see the truck coming, and the driver was too drunk to notice us. I was almost hit, but, but he pushed me out of the way, and got killed on impact. Amy doesn't even remember that night, she just thinks that he's on vacation, and I'm too afraid to tell her that he's dead because we both loved him so much. It would break her heart to know, and it's all my fault." My ramble of sentences ends with me blubbering out the last words through tears, and I don't even care that Jack is the first person I've talked to about this.

"I'm so sorry Audrey." Jack whispers.

"Sapphire, my name is actually Sapphire." I mumble.

"Well, Sapphire, I think that it's about time for you to stop helping Pitch and start helping us. It's obvious that you want to, so why don't you?"

"Can I just go home now? I'll talk to all of you later about whatever you want, but I really just want to go home."

"Of course, here's a snow globe." Jack pulls one of them from his pocket and hands it to me.

"See you soon, Sapphire." Jack's lips brush against my cheek, and I hear my heart pound loudly in my chest, almost trying to escape. I take a deep breath, and smash the snow globe to the ground.

Within seconds, I'm back home, in my bedroom. It's 7:00, shouldn't Amy be running around the house being her a hyper ball of energy right now?

"Amy? Are you up yet?" I ask when I knock on her door. No response.

"Amy?" Still receiving no response, I open the door.

My eyes meet something so horrifying; I just stand there frozen before shouting,

"Mom! Dad! Help, it's Amy!"


	8. Chapter 7

"What is it Sa- oh my goodness!" My mother screams upon entering the room and seeing Amy.

"Mom, Dad, what do we do?"

"I-I don't k-know Sapphire." My dad stutters. They need to get out of here; they need someplace where they can be safe. Who's to say Pitch is going to stop at Amy?

"Maybe you guys should call a doctor, or the police, or someone." I almost choke on tears that are trying to make their way through. My parents nod and run out of the room to get to the telephone.

This is all my fault. I should've been more careful to check that Jack and I were alone before I even thought about helping the guardians. Now, Amy's paid the price.

She floats limply in the air, unmoving, surrounded by black Nightmare Sand. Pitch had been talking about this new weapon, his most dangerous yet. It traps the victim in a sustained nightmare, but completely under his control. So, Amy can't wake up until Pitch decides to let her go.

I stare at her, before coming to the conclusion that something this bad just can't be entirely my fault. I think it's time to have a little "chat" with Pitch.

Before I know it, I'm out the door, running towards the desolate woods in which Pitch's lair hides. I quickly find the broken bed frame, signaling the entrance to Pitch's little hole of isolation. I jump in without hesitation, fury overpowering any normal feelings of fear.

"Pitch! Where are you? Come out and face me like a man! Right now!" I feel something in the shadows behind me, and I storm up to it. It takes all I have in me not to kill him here and now.

"What the hell was that all about you coward? Amy never did anything to you, and _I _hadn't either."

"Yet. Forgive me if I'm not as trusting as the guardians." Pitch hisses, and he's right, chances were high that I would've helped the guardians now that I know the truth. Right now, those chances are a certainty.

"I don't care if it takes a millennium, but I will find some way to break the spell, I will find some way to defeat you. I don't care if I die trying."

"Do you care if your little Amy does?" Pitch asks, and I gasp, horrified at what he's implying. I turn and run, fear rapidly closing in on me, suffocating me, as I clamber out of Pitch's little hole.

I sprint through the forest, trying hard to get home as fast as I can. Fear and overwhelming emotions cloud my mind, and I trip over a root. Sprawled on the ground, sharp spikes of pain flash through my body after I take a blow to the head, and I feel multiple other places begin to bleed. I still manage to get up, and stumble through the remaining parts of the forest.

I let out I breath I wasn't aware I was holding when the trees begin to become fewer and farther between. I find my house with ease, and quickly enter. Flying up the stairs, I dash into Amy's room, panicking when I hear her begin to scream loudly.

She writhes in the air, and I fear that maybe Pitch is a little more trustworthy than I made him out to be. Amy needs to get to somewhere safe.

I hope that the guardians can help.

I sit on her bed and think as hard as I can on how to get back to the Pole. How can I call a guardian?

That's it! Jack and the guardians are coming to talk with me tonight; maybe they could get Amy to North's Workshop. Now they just need to get here soon.

As if by magic, I hear voices out in the hallway, each one arguing.

"I think that's a dumb place to put your trust mate."

"You didn't see her, I'm positive she was sincere."

"Just like I'm positive that your judgment is clouded by love." I hear a girl's voice exaggerate the word love, and I stand up, as it's all I can do not to break down.

"Hello?" I ask, poking my head outside the door.

"Sapphire, are you okay?" Jack asks; worry crossing his face as he steps towards me.

"I'm better than Amy." I whisper, and I step back inside the room, cringing as I hear the guardians gasps of shock.

"What happened?" Jack wraps his arms around me as I finally burst into tears, unable to hold it all in anymore. I tell them everything I know about Pitch, and that I know he's not stopping at my sister. My body is wracked with sobs, and I barely register that Jack hasn't let me go; he's just been holding me and stroking my hair this entire time. I glance up at him with tears running down my face, and I can't hold back the watery smile I give him. Everything's going to be okay now. I don't even know how my mind has come up with this, and maybe I've lost it because my world is falling apart around me. Yet, Jack makes me feel like everything will be okay.

"I think that I know a way to stop Pitch, but it's not going to be pretty." I mumble, and begin to share my deadly plan.

"Sapphire, I couldn't let you do this." Jack says quietly, and the guardians- even Bunny –mutter their agreement.

"It's not about what anybody will let me do anymore; it's simply come down to what I have to do to protect Amy. To protect all of the kids."


	9. Chapter 8

A few days have passed since the meeting with the guardians, and they have my family and some people called the Bennetts safe at the pole. I've stopped giving the nightmares, and I'm just waiting for Pitch to come and… well, I don't really know what'll happen. I'm ready for anything.

I was just sitting on my couch, staring mindlessly at the TV, when it clicked off suddenly. I sat as still as I could, a true challenge while I'm watching black sand crawl up the walls, across the carpet, engulfing the entire room with the exception of me.

"Pitch? Do you want to talk to me?" I ask, staring straight ahead, trembling with the fear of what might be coming.

"Oh, only about a few things; one is being why you've stopped your duties."

"Yeah, I'm not working for you anymore." I turn and see Pitch's face morph from being puzzled to livid.

"What do you mean, 'not working for me anymore'?"

"I mean," I slowly stand up, "I'm sick of doing something so wrong. I hate making the kids scared of everything. I hate what you're doing. I hate you."

A jolt of stinging pain makes it way up my spine, and I fall to the ground in agony. Before I can recover my wits, I feel Nightmare Sand wrapping me in its tense grip.

As I struggle, Pitch bends down to my level. My murky brown eyes meet his with a confidence I didn't think I'd be able to muster for the plan to work. I'm not scared, but instead numb. I have no anger, or sadness, or even joy; it feels as though I've lost the ability to have any emotion.

"You have one last chance, join me, or you and everyone you love all die. The choice is yours, don't take your time." I take a deep breath in, hoping that the guardians can keep everyone safe.

"I'd rather die." I glare defiantly at Pitch, and his smile is malicious.

Without a word, Pitch walks out of the room, and that's the last thing I see before the Nightmare Sand slides over my eyes.

* * *

I don't know how long I sit there, but I can't feel anything happen. I can't see or hear, and nobody's coming to save me. I'm unaware of everything around me, and growing weary of it.

Eventually, I feel something bump against the layer of Nightmare Sand trapping me. I try screaming, but no sound comes out of my mouth. I'm overjoyed when that thing keeps hitting the sand, breaking away slowly. When the shell cracks open, I'm facing Sandy, golden Dream Sand whips in his hands.

"Thank you so much Sandy! What's been happening?" My eyes scan the unfamiliar room happily, until I notice that this is a part of Pitch's lair. Sandy motions for me to follow him, and quietly, we creep into the corridor. The black walls seem suffocating, and I hear something shatter in the room next to me.

My head instinctively turns towards the sound, and I see Sandy disappear into the shadows. The walls shift, and I find myself in an entirely different room, no exit, and surrounded by creatures from the Nightmare Sand.

They charge right away, and I find myself defenseless against all of them. They tear away at me, biting, stomping, and kicking me into the ground. Just when it seems that there is no hope, the rooms shift again, and I scramble to an exit.

I quickly find myself in another room, where the floor is made of quicksand, the only exit on the other side.

Alright Pitch, be this way.

Somehow, I get myself across the room, only to be faced by challenge after challenge. The rooms switch just as I'm about to die.

I can only hope that soon enough, I can find the guardians, or Pitch will stop toying with me.

I get switched into a room, the worst of them yet. This room is an exact model of the one I was stuck in in my nightmare. Except, my little sister is gone, and so are my parents.

But in the guardians', Jack is in chains, bloody, bruised, and out cold. He's being guarded by none other than Pitch himself.

"Let them go Pitch, you're angry at me, remember?" I growl.

"Them? Oh, you think that all of the guardians came to your rescue, or that you matter that much to all of them. Only Sandy and Jack came."

"That doesn't matter, let both of them go."

"But then there wouldn't be any fun." Pitch kicks Jack's side, and Jack winces in his sleep.

"Pitch, please let them go. Please just stop doing this. The world will always have fear, so why do you need this power?" I beg, almost in tears with desperation. I've had an exhausting day, nearly being killed too many times to count, and now Pitch tortures the ones that I love; my sister, the guardians, Jack…

I sigh as the realization hits me. I don't have the time for falling in love with someone who doesn't care right now.

"Fear will always be around, and I need the power. You know what it's like to not be believed in." Pitch gives me a dead look, "Yet, you refused to have pity on me, I'm simply returning the favor."

With these words, Pitch abandons me and Jack, all alone, without any guaranteed help on the way, and an army of angry Nightmare Creatures in his spot.

* * *

A/N: Hey guys, sorry to ask for this, but I'd really like to get a few more reviews, because I'm not sure how well the story is going. SO if anyone could just leave a review telling me what they like, or what I could change, I'd really appreciate it. Hope you're liking it!


	10. Chapter 9

With these words, Pitch abandons me and Jack, all alone, without any guaranteed help on the way, and an army of angry Nightmare Creatures in his spot.

I run over and bend down next to Jack and shake him, hoping that by some miracle he might wake up in time to save us both.

"Ungh." Jack mumbles.

"Jack come on, please wake up. I could really use some saving right now." I plead quietly, watching the Nightmare Creatures get ready to charge out of the corner of my eye. Thankfully, at my words Jack jumps up and stands next to me, staff in hand.

The battle is short and quick. Jack freezes any Nightmare in sight, and then I break them into pieces. Smashing the last one, I turn and look at Jack, running over to him immediately.

"Jack, are you alright? I was so worried; you looked so bad, like you were going to die. I thought that I was going to lose you and-" I get cut off by the most cliche move that I've ever watched, but still the sweetest. Jack seals his lips against mine, effectively cutting off my ranting and worry. We pull apart after a second, and I stand there, feeling slightly dazed.

"What do we do now?" I ask quietly.

At this moment, the rooms change again, and this time, instead of just Pitch, the guardians are standing by us too. This is what we needed. This is what we were counting on.

I don't know about the guardians, but I've been rehearsing the plan in my head since we came up with it. I look to Tooth who nods. It's us one side of the room against Pitch on the other side.

I see Jack still with his staff next to me, Tooth with some of her fairies, and Bunnymund with his boomerang. North has his swords in hand, and Sandy is glaring at Pitch, sand swirling around him.

Here I am, defenseless, useless to the fight. Everything has to go perfectly now.

With a cry of raw emotion, the only thing that can truly voice all of the pain I've been put through for a battle for the children, we charge.

Instantly, the Nightmare Sand surrounds us, forming not only into the animals I've come to expect, but different creatures too. They form into multiple things, people, objects, views of fantastic places, and I don't get what's up.

We still rip through the Nightmares one by one, which is literal for me. I'm clawing through another Nightmare when I notice Tooth cornered by multiple Nightmares. These aren't like any I've seen before though. These Nightmares hold the form of Tooth's fairies, and they're ready to attack.

'Tooth doesn't have it in her to destroy her little minions.' I realize, and I rush over to do it for her. She gives me a fearful and relieved smile when they're gone, and I understand why. If Pitch can make his Nightmares have such a great emotional power over us, then we're doomed.

I find the guardians in trouble multiple times, and I'm starting to get seriously worried. The Nightmares are overrunning us, overpowering us, and before I know it, I'm in a choke-hold I don't dare to turn around and face the horror holding me back. In my struggling, I see each of the guardians get captured, until Jack is the only one left free in the middle of the room.

Pitch laughs menacingly, and a stream of Nightmare Sand shoots from his fingertips, creating a little girl standing in front of Jack.

"Jack? Why did you leave me?" She asks in a sweet voice, and I recognize her. She's Jack's little sister. I can't even begin to imagine the pain he must be going through; he has to kill it. I know that he just sees the little sister he knew hundreds of years ago, but I still see the monster that will make sure he dies again; I see the monster he has to kill.

"You promised me everything was going to be alright. You promised me Jack. Why did you lie to me? Why did you play your tricks again? It wasn't funny." This little demon won't shut up, and I can see tears on Jack's face. My heart breaks slowly, and I see this thing advancing towards him.

"Jack, it's not your little sister! Please kill it Jack! This thing isn't your little sister!" I scream loudly, but Jack still doesn't move.

"Please Jack, do it for me! I need you to stay here with me, so please, please kill it!" I tremble with fear as I'm speaking these words, hoping with all of my existence that Jack will listen. He does. Amazingly, Jack stands up, shaking hard, and freezes the thing right as it's about to kill.

It feels like the super bowl, when you're in triple-overtime, and your team just scored the winning point. I feel elated, overjoyed, and better than I have in a long time all in one moment. I didn't realize just how much I cared about Jack, until I was sure that I was going to lose him.

The battle continues, but our side seems to have a new energy, and we gain the upper-hand. North slashes through our enemies twice as fast, but almost the same thing could be said for all of us. We fight and fight for ages, and it almost seems like we've won. Of course, my kind of luck won't allow that.

I find myself knocked to the ground, with one single Nightmare looming over me. I take one look at who it is, and scream in pure terror. Danny's supposed to be dead. Danny is dead. I can barely look at; much less kill anyone who looks like him. And this is an exact replica.

"Sapphire, why weren't you more careful? I could still be there with you. I wasn't even 18 yet. Why did you kill me?" My chin trembles, and my stomach churns. Not real, but not wrong.

"Don't start crying! You don't even have the right to feel sorry; you not only killed a minor, but your brother. I shouldn't have saved you at all. You should've been more careful." Danny hisses above me. Then something small appears from behind Danny.

"Danny's dead?" Shrieks Amy and angry tears well up in her eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me? You lied to me! I hate you!" She screeches at me. I faintly hear Jack yelling at me, but they're right. I've made so many unforgivable mistakes, so many.

It feels like I'm drowning in all of my fears. I can't get away, and I can't kill them.

Suddenly, Jack is standing in front of me, with the most terrified look on his face. The Nightmares are gone, and I'm openly crying into his shoulder as he wraps his arms around me. The battle's almost over, Pitch is tired, but so are we.

Jack and I pull apart, and race off to finish fighting Pitch. The guardians each are handling a few Nightmares on their own, and I run towards Pitch. Right as I'm about to reach him, he smirks, and I don't have the time to wonder why.

"Run Sapphire!" Jack shouts, but it's too late. I fall to the ground, the world going dark around me.


	11. Chapter 10

A/N: I'm going to post an epilogue after this chapter. Just for fun, because there probably won't be a sequel.

* * *

I didn't think that dying would be like this. I feel all of my feelings flooding through me: fear that Pitch will win, hope that the plan will work, love for my family and Jack. I find myself falling past all of my memories, in a backwards order, and after I reach the last one on the line, I jolt to a stop.

"You know what you have to do." I hear Man in the Moon tell me softly, and I nod. I do know what I have to do, but it's easier planned than done.

I come back from the brink of death, and find the battle still raging on. All of the guardians are fighting so hard, but they all have red eyes. Even Bunny seems a little slower right now. I hear demonic laughter that I'm sure belongs to Pitch.

"Oh look at the little guardians, still fighting. Not even mourning for the loss of the child they just killed. You let her go into battle; you knew it was dangerous for her. Jack, looks like you failed another little girl." And at these words, Jack falls to the ground. I race over to him.

"Jack, it's alright! I'm here, see? As good as new. Jack please get up, you have to keep fighting!" I plead in a hysterical voice. I don't think that Jack took what Pitch said very well, but he can't stop fighting now. We're so close to winning.

Jack stares up at me through haunted eyes, and they set on me. Almost angrily, he stands up with his staff in hand, glowering at me.

"This one's for the real Sapphire!" He shouts, and tries to freeze me.

'Great reaction Jack.' I think in my head.

"Jack stop, it's me. I'm the real Sapphire! Not a nightmare!" I shout, barely dodging the blast he sends my way.

"Please Jack!" I yell. His hateful glares are making me feel awful. Then, I do something that I never thought I'd have the guts to do.

I walk up to Jack, and hold both of his hands in mine. I bite my lip, remembering that this could end badly if it doesn't work.

"Please." I whisper, and stand on my toes, placing my lips gently on his. I can feel him relax, and when we pull away, I'm grinning so hard that it hurts.

"Sorry I couldn't tell you the real plan." I mutter.

"Aw, how cute. The little Sapphire thinks that she can change everything just because she became a guardian." Pitch smirks down at us condescendingly. I look at him, and I don't feel a shred of the expected fear.

"You don't scare me." I smile. Pitch quickly stops smirking and looks at me.

"What did you say?" He asks in a quiet and very angry voice.

"You don't scare me. Not anymore." I raise my voice to a furious shout, and Pitch takes a step backwards.

"Not so bad without your fear to feed on now, are you?" I growl, and I take a step closer. The entire world is heating up around me, and I see an orange light engulf the room.

I shield my eyes from the bright glow emitting from where Pitch is standing. I take step towards him.

"How…?" He asks in a terrified voice.

"It's courage. Or did you forget about one of the few things that can defeat fear?" I'm aware that all of the guardians are watching me now, done with their enemies, and intrigued as to why I'm back from the dead. I feel them move to attack behind me, and I wouldn't have stopped them, but I also see Pitch disappear into a whirlwind of Nightmare Sand.

I don't even realize how tired I am until I'm falling against Jack. He laughs as he catches me, and kisses my forehead. I stumble back to my feet, and take a look around at everyone.

This battle has us in rags. North has cuts and hoof-marks all over his face, and his beard is really dirty. Tooth has bruises all over, and I see places where a few feathers got plucked out. Sandy looks tired and halfway to dead. Bunny looks like he's been through war. But then again, this might as well be called that. Pitch won't stay away for forever, and we can't give up fighting for the children.

I smile at Jack, whose split lip begins bleeding when he smiles back.

* * *

It takes us forever to get out of the labyrinth that Pitch has trapped us in. We face more Nightmares who apparently don't understand that we've won this battle. Although we can blast the dangers apart in a matter of seconds, it's still hard to find a way out.

Eventually, we all stagger out of Pitch's lair, and I take a deep breath in, as it's all I can do not to scream with joy.

"We did it." I say. Everyone grins, as if my saying it makes it true. We all make our way over to North's sleigh, and I collapse on the bench. I'm barely aware of the rest of the guardians clambering in, and Jack holding me close to him.

When I come to, I feel something tugging at my leg. I sleepily open one eye, and find Amy's face smiling up at me.

"Saph!" She screams happily, and clasps her hands around my neck. I beam and hold her, ecstatic that she survived.

"Hi Amy." I tear up, and bury my face in her hair. When I bring my head up, I see Jack smiling at me and Amy.

When I pick Amy up and go over to Jack, I can't stop smiling. Today is my first day at a new life, and it's going to be great.


	12. Epilogue

I laugh as I run around Tooth's place, trying to beat Jack in the race we're having. Still, it's because of his flying that he wins, and I roll my eyes.

"No fair. You can fly, and I can't." I mumble.

"Funny, Amy said the same thing." Jack grins.

Ever since the battle with Pitch, everything's been very calm. My sister comes over to visit (even though I've only been a guardian for a few weeks), and I'm dating Jack. We can't do much, because to most people, we don't exist, but we're happy just playing in snow.

"We are sisters." I state, and Jack chuckles.

"I noticed." He says as his arms curl around my waist. I can't help myself as my hands wrap around the back of his neck. Our foreheads touch, and before I can think, so do our lips. I've got to say, kissing Jack will never get old.

He pulls away after a while, and he looks like he wants to ask me something.

"What is it?" I ask, and he takes a big breath.

"I'm not really sure what we have here. It's just, I really like you, and I hope you like me too, but… I guess I'm trying to ask if maybe you'd be my girlfriend?" Jack asks nervously, and I suppose my lack of response triggers his last comment.

"The choice is yours."

* * *

A/N: So this is the end! Thanks to anyone who reviewed while I was writing, it was nice to know that people liked it. I still don't own ROTG or any of the characters, now matter how much I wish I did.


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